ATP World Tour Finals

Today sees the start of the ATP World Tour Finals, which will be played at London's o2 Arena for the fourth time. At the time of writing, Andy Murray is moments away from playing the first singles match of the tournament against Czech star Tomas Berdych. The US Open champion is the second favourite to win the tournament behind Novak Djokovic, despite the pair facing each other before the weekend. This is because the tournament begins with a group stage rather than a standard knock-out draw. The groups are split in to two groups of four, with each player playing their group rivals once. The top two players from each group then qualify for the semi-finals, where the knock-out tennis begins.

As mentioned, Murray is opening the singles draw of the tournament against Tomas Berdych. The home support for Murray will be expecting an opening win, but it might not be so easy as Berdych leads the Brit in head-to-head matches 4-3. The Olympic champ, though, did win their last encounter en route to his success at Flushing Meadows in September. Later on in the same group, Group A, Djokovic takes on France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Whilst the result will probably result in a win for the top seeded Serb, the crowd tonight will be in for great entertainment as both players have a habit of getting the crowd involved. From Group A overall, I would expect both Djokovic and Murray to eventually progress given the season's the two players have had compared to their group rivals. Having said that, I could also easily see Tsonga coming through this group as the atmosphere within the London venue may spur him on to play great tennis.

Group B contains second seed Roger Federer, Spaniard David Ferrer, 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro and Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic. This, in my opinion, appears a very straightforward group. Federer obviously has enough talent to dispatch every member of this group with consummate ease with Del Potro finishing second. A few people may be scratching their heads as to why I haven't tipped Ferrer to qualify after his win in Paris yesterday, but he is the only player at this week's tournament to have made the semi-finals in Paris last week. Two days rest before going straight into battle and playing elite level opponents from the outset is not enough, even for a player of Ferrer's calibre.

My draw for the semis, then, probably see Djokovic, as Group A winner, take on Del Potro leaving Andy Murray to fight it out with Federer. From these two semis, I'd be likely to go with a Djokovic-Federer final much to the disappointment of the home crowd. If that is the final, my choice of champion would depend on how the two players reached the final but given the Swiss star has longer odds, I'd probably back him in the hopes of collecting more winnings from the bookies.

Also being played at the o2 Arena this week is the men's doubles tour ending championships, which contains another Brit for the crowd the cheer on as Jonathan Marray takes part alongside the man he won the Wimbledon men's double title with, Dane Frederik Nielsen. Not much is expected of the pairing, but I'm sure they will both enjoy the week and the crowd's undoubted support. 

Premier League Preview

The new season is almost upon us and undoubtedly has a tough act to follow. The 2011/12 season was voted the best of the first 20 Premier League campaigns. The title remained undecided until virtually the last kick of the season as Sergio Aguero secured Manchester City's first Premier League title. The big question ahead of the new season is obviously if the Citizens can defend their title. In terms of the squad that one last year, only one big addition has been made in the shape of midfielder Jack Rodwell. I've always been a big fan of the former Toffee but he has had his fair share of injuries, but hopefully those are behind him as he looks to kick on with his career. Last year's runner-up Manchester United have a very strong squad to challenge their city rivals and go one better this year. Everyone is well aware of the talent imminent signing Robin van Persie has, but Shinji Kagawa is also a player of genuine class who can really help the Red Devils at vital points in the season. Chelsea may not have challenged for the title last year, but the Champions League win is bound to give them confidence ahead of the new campaign. Summer signings Eden Hazard, Marko Marin and Oscar all have huge potential which Chelsea fans will be hoping to see over the course of the year, but for me their key man could be Fernando Torres, who seems to be edging back to the player he used to be. An on-form Torres could easily replace the void left by former striker Didier Drogba, so Blues fans may not have so much to worry about. At this stage its too tough to call who will win the title. Everyone has a bad run at some point in the league, and it could well come down to when each team has their bad patch. If I had to pick one, I probably would have picked Chelsea a week ago. Now that RvP is heading to Old Trafford, they have the top two scorers from last year and  would be my pick for the season ahead.

There is also the issue of Champions League qualification. I believe Chelsea, City and United will finish in the top three, meaning there is one more space available from the league. I would hope my beloved Tottenham can mount another serious challenge for the spot as in previous seasons, but I am concerned. Ahead of our opening fixture, there are only two strikers in the squad - Jermain Defoe and Harry Kane. Defoe is a great goal scorer - as seen against Italy last night - but I can't pick up a newspaper these days without reading a rumour linking him with a move away from the club. Kane is a player with real potential but he's too young to pin all our hopes on. The rest of the squad is good enough to challenge, but we need at least one more striker. Emmanuel Adebayor's diva attitude appears to have scuppered a move for him, the move for Leandro Damiao seems to be taking an eternity and Fernando Llorente is on the verge of moving to Juventus. All three were targets, and all three would have been brilliant. Hopefully we can secure a striker before the transfer window shuts. Arsenal will also be looking to qualify for the Champions League this year and the loss of RvP is a huge dent to their chances. However, its not all doom and gloom. New signing Olivier Giroud helped fire Montpellier to a league title over oil rich PSG in France (apparently its like Stoke winning the title over Manchester City). Lukas Podolski is a player that is used to both pressure and the biggest stages. And Santi Cazorla is a talent either out wide or in the middle. Granted the influence of RvP may be hard to replace, but those three players can really help Arsenal secure fourth. Some also believe Liverpool, now under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers, can also challenge for Champions League qualification. Rodgers set Swansea up brilliantly in their first season in the Premier League, and if similar tactics were given to a squad with more talent, success is possible. New signing Fabio Borini can give Liverpool something they've lacked since Torres - a natural finisher. Joe Allen can also help with a few assists from midfield, and the potential loan signing of Nuri Sahin will be great business for Liverpool, especially if he brings the form he showed whilst at Borussia Dortmund. Again, this is extremely tough to call but my biased heart says Tottenham, so I hope it's right.

The other big issue in the Premier League is relegation. As always, the favourites for relegation include the new boys and Wigan. All the new boys can feasibly go down. West Ham didn't have the best of seasons in a league many pundits expected them to dominate. Southampton have added only a few players to their squad which could lack depth, and goalkeeper Kelvin Davis had a torrid time during his last season in the Premier League with Sunderland. And Reading rode into the Premier League on the crest of a wave with a storming run at the end of the season. Will the form be there come Saturday? Wigan are perennial relegation candidates but always seem to have a way of avoiding the drop. In previous seasons under Roberto Martinez, they've looked dead and buried yet somehow stay up - they're like the relegation equivalent of Manchester United, coming alive at the right time. I wouldn't be surprised if no one has been relegated until the final day of the season.

Prediction
1) Manchester United
2) Chelsea
3) Manchester City
4) Tottenham
5) Arsenal
6) Liverpool
---------------------------
18) Wigan
19) Southampton
20) Reading

This Olympic post is sponsored by...

With little over two weeks to go until Danny Boyle turns a part of Stratford into a farm, the British public are struggling to avoid anything to do with the Olympics. Everywhere you turn is another reminder that the greatest show on Earth will be in London from the 27th July. And its only going to get worse, with BBC One and BBC Three almost only showing the Games for the two week period. As a sports fanatic, I'm not really fussed by most of this. For me, it's great to be swept up by all the trappings of a once-in-a-lifetime event, an Olympic Games on my doorstep. I enjoy reading articles in the papers of medal hopes and watching TV shows that are related to the Games; it's interesting to understand everything that goes into the Olympics. The one thing that does annoy me, though, is how companies are using the Games as a corporate vehicle.

The likes of Coca-Cola, McDonalds and P&G have spent well into the billions to sponsor the most watched sporting event. In return, the IOC has allowed them to use the Olympics as part of their advertising campaigns. You can't go one single ad break now without London 2012 being mentioned.  It makes the Games seem like some corporate vehicle, helping companies profit from being associated with something huge. Coca-Cola and McDonalds, for example, enjoy suggesting that you can lead a healthy lifestyle with their products, and generally include the Games in this when they come around. We all know how unhealthy McDonalds can be. After all, a Big Mac would be legally classed as a dessert due to the sugar content if it weren't for the gherkins. But these companies are by far not the worse offenders in my books - at least they actually paid for the right to use them.

Walking through the shopping centre in the Olympic Park the other day, it was ridiculous to see so many companies that hadn't paid for sponsorship using the Olympics in a non-explicit manner. Subway, for example, have leaflets featuring four Olympians and their favourite 'sub'. Nowehere on the leaflet are the Olympics mentioned, but anyone with common sense would swiftly realise that Subway are trying profit from public support for the Games. Boots also had posters of Jo Jackson and Hannah Miley, both of whom are Olympic swimmers, in their shop window. Again, no mention of the Games but its not hard to see what they are doing. The use of the Olympics by these companies is completely devaluing the history of the Games. A once great sporting event slowly being turned into a money-spinner by large companies. I wouldn't be too surprised if in the future events themselves are actually sponsored. I can't wait to see the final of the Coca-Cola 100 metres...sigh.

Tour De France So Far

With just over half the tour and 11 stages remaining, this year's Tour de France is beginning to hot up. After a few medium-mountain stages in the first week, today sees the first fully fledged mountain stage. These stages go a long way to shaping the final general classification due to the time riders can make up over their rivals when climbing. Given his previous track pedigree, Bradley Wiggins was never previously considered a climber and despite working hard before the start of this cycling season, questions still remained over his ability to go uphill. The Brit, though, has swiftly dispelled those rumours by winning the Criterium du Dauphine, the Tour de Romandie and Paris-Nice this year, the first time anyone has won them all in the same year. Not even the great Eddy Merckx achieved it. It appears Wiggins is in good shape to stay with his rivals throughout the mountains by himself, but his Team Sky team-mates will also be a huge help to him. Richie Porte, best young rider at the 2010 Giro d'Italia, and Michael Rogers, three-time world time trial champion, help Wiggins at the bottom of the climb. But his biggest help comes from Chris Froome, runner-up at last year's Vuelta A Espana and a potential Grand Tour winner. Froome is a talented climber and will be there to ensure Wiggins gets up all the climbs in a good position. The well-oiled Team Sky could be the reason why Wiggins will be in the maillot jaune come July 22. And with the stages that are left, I fully believe there will be the first British winner of the Tour de France.

The points classification will go a little quiet for a few days during the mountain stages as the sprinters are not known for their climbing ability. So far, Peter Sagan has fulfilled potential in his first Tour by winning three stages and be the current leader of the points. The challengers to him appear to be Matt Goss, former lead-out rider for Mark Cavendish, and Andre Greipel, former team-mate of Cavendish. Even though both Goss and Greipel have good lead-out trains to get them to the line, Sagan seems to have the ability to find the right wheel to follow when he doesn't have a train. For that reason alone, I think Sagan will stay in green. A quick note on Cav, though, who went into this Tour saying he only wanted a stage win and wasn't worrying about the green jersey. During the first week, the Manx Missile challenged during the intermediate sprints, which is often only contested by riders going for green. Safe to say Mark is in a good competitive mood ahead of the Olympics.

The only big classification yet to take shape is the King of the Mountains, and that's because there haven't been many mountains to climb. Currently leading the standings is Sweden's Fredrik Kessiakoff, who is surely going to lose the polka-dot jersey by end of stage 10. As I mentioned earlier, Chris Froome will be Wiggins' assistant going up climbs, and for that reason alone I wouldn't mind having money on the Kenyan-born rider winning this classification. The defending King of the Mountains has already pulled out of this tour and many of the other climbers are carrying knocks after all the crashes that happened during the first week of the tour. Cadel Evans' history in mountain biking may also help him reach the top of the KOTM classifications, but I'm sure he'd rather have a second yellow jersey.

Redknapp's Replacement

Following the shock news that Harry Redknapp has apparently left Spurs, I felt it was only right as both a Spurs fan and a trainee sports journalist to run the rule over those in the running for the Spurs job.

Looking at the betting market, David Moyes is the overwhelming odds-on favourite. For the job he has done with the money available to him, Moyes can only receive praise. Yes, he has occasionally spent big, but by and large he has bought players in on the cheap who have done well for Everton. With a larger budget that would be available to him at Spurs, one can only dream of what could lie ahead if the Scotsman was placed in charge. However, there is something I can't put my finger on that casts my doubts as to whether Moyes is the right man for Spurs. After so long at one club, would he easily be able to replicate success elsewhere. Just look at the case of Guy Roux in France, who was in charge of Auxerre for 44 years. He lasted less than four games in his next job. I hope if Moyes is given the job this isn't the case.

Next up is Wigan's Roberto Martinez, who narrowly missed out in the race for the Liverpool job. In the past, Liverpool were a great club, a real dominant force. In recent years, however, that reputation has wavered and I would go as far to say Spurs are perhaps currently the bigger club, must to the protest of my Liverpool supporting father. However, the fact Martinez may have been passed over for what could be seen as a lesser job causes me some concern. Like Moyes, Martinez has done well on a tight budget and could again do well with a bigger budget. But Liverpool must have had their doubts over the Spaniard as they chose Brendan Rodgers to lead the club instead. If they were worried whether Martinez was right for the job, then Spurs might have to be as well.

Scrolling through the rest of the list, none of the other leading candidates strike me as being well suited to the job. Rafa Benitez, who, on reflection, done a very good job at Liverpool but had something close to a mental breakdown during the 2008-09 season with Liverpool in a title race with Manchester United. Andre Villas-Boas, who has limited managerial experience and a nightmare spell at Chelsea. Alan Pardew, who may well have won the LMA Manager of the Year award but hardly set the world on fire when he was with Southampton in League One, a job from which he was sacked less than two years ago.

It's worrying time for a Spurs fan. A new manager needs to put in place soon to ensure a pre-season is not wasted. And one the the first tasks for the new manager will be the battle to keep hold of players like Luka Modric and Rafael Van der Vaart, both of whom have been linked with moves away from the Lane this summer. Talk about having to hit the ground running. All I can hope for is the Spurs board find the right man for the job, and find him quickly.

Weekly Round-Up (14/05/12)

Where else is there to start this week other than the end to the Premier League season? Every year, the final day is referred to as 'thrilling'. However, this year it truly was with more twists and turns than a soap opera. At the top of the table, Manchester City won the title with seconds to spare after coming from two behind in injury time to defeat QPR 3-2. What made the finale at Eastlands extra special was that their title and city rivals Manchester United had walked off the field following a 1-0 at Sunderland thinking they had won the title. When news broke of Aguero's late winner, Sunderland's fans mocked United by performing the 'Poznan'. Even though many people believe the manner in which City have won the title, i.e. buying it, is wrong, I can't help but think surely this is good for the league, adding another team to the pot of potential winners.

QPR themselves were also involved in final day relegation drama this year, with their defeat at Eastlands meaning a Bolton win a Stoke would see the Londoners relegated. The Wanderers did lead 2-1 at half-time, but the game finished 2-2, leaving Bolton to depart the Premier League after 11 years. I feel sorry for them given the injuries they have received to key players over the course of the season, but clearly the replacements just did not perform.

Champions League qualification was still up for grabs, with Arsenal, Newcastle and my beloved Spurs still vying for the final two spots. Newcastle's 3-1 defeat at Everton put pay to any chances they had, leaving it between the North London rivals to see who could watch the Champions League final without worry. A suspect goalkeeping performance from ex-Spurs player Marton Fulop pretty much gifted Arsenal a 3-2 victory at West Brom, and Spurs also won 2-0 at home to Fulham. Unfortunately, this means I will have to nervously watch the final cheering on Bayern, as a Chelsea win would see us lose the spot to Chelsea as the defending champions.

In other sporting news, it was great to see Williams back on the top step of the Formula 1 podium after what seems an eternity. After the season they had last year, it is nice to see the once-great name back where it rightly belongs. It also means that we have seen five different drivers from five different teams win the first five races this year. With such a wide open field, you can't help but think this is surely going to be one of the best seasons ever. The next race at Monaco will be interesting, a track where comeback kid Kimi Raikkonen has won before. He is in great form at the minute, so could we be looking at a sixth different driver from a sixth different team triumphing?

Masters Preview

What with it being the start of golf's first major tomorrow, and the fact I haven't done a post in over two weeks, I thought I would do a preview of the Masters.

Obviously the biggest news heading into the tournament is that Tiger Woods feels he's back to his best form, the form that saw him hold all four majors at the same time following the 2001 Masters. If Woods is back to his best, it is ominous for the rest of the field as he can tame Augusta year in year out. The bookies seem to agree with Woods, with best price being 5-1. However, I don't feel Woods will walk away with another green jacket for his wardrobe this weekend. I can't put my finger on it, but there is something about Woods at the minute which makes me feel he can't win another major. Famous last words.

The second favourite is last year's winner that never was - Rory McIlroy. Will he have learnt from last year's horror show? He bounced back in the next major, the US Open, to win that whilst setting numerous records. He has also gone on to be World No.1, albeit rather briefly. So judging by that, he has. However, there could well be seeds of doubt in the back of Rory's mind whilst playing the first round which could hamper him. Much like Felipe Massa has never been the same Formula 1 driver since his horror crash, McIlroy might like confidence in playing Augusta after it brutally chewed him up and spat him out last year. His first round will be vital - survive it unscathed and he could well be a contender come Sunday.

However, I believe that Charl Schwartzel will be presenting the green jacket to an Aussie come Sunday. Jason Day finished runner-up to Schwartzel last year on his Masters debut. He then followed it up with another second place finish at the US Open, so the boy clearly has major potential within him. I also believe he has the short game required to beat Augusta. I just hope I have not cursed him, as most of my previous tips for the Masters have failed to perform miserably.

Like any major though, there could always be the potential for an unknown to storm to victory. He could play the best four rounds of his life this weekend and have his name forever written in the history books. Players like Ben Curtis, Shaun Micheel & Louis Oosthuizen got surprise victories in majors through playing their best golf, and also through good fortune along the way. Whatever the result, all we can do is hope for another great edition of the most prestigious major in golf.

Weekly Round-up (19/03/12)

This week, one headline rocked the sporting world: the sad news that Bolton's Fabrice Muamba suffered a heart attack during the FA Cup quarter-final with Tottenham Hotspur. As the time of writing, Muamba is still in a fight for his life and is still being treated in intensive care. Like everyone involved with football, I wish him a full recovery and hope that one day, we may see him playing again. It's fair to say Muamba has talent, having represented England at every youth level and is the joint second most capped under-21 player for England of all time. Whilst it would have been unlikely that the midfielder would have made it to Euro 2012, it would not have been beyond the realms of possibility for him to have been pulling on a Great Britain shirt during the Olympics. However, in times like this, football becomes irrelevant and we can only pray that Muamba pulls through.

Elsewhere in sport, the Six Nations came to its conclusion. Congratulations to Wales for securing their third Grand Slam in seven years, a truly wonderful achievement. Of course, this only leads to people shouting even louder for Warren Gatland to be named Lions coach next year. I for one, however, am completely against this motion for the simple reason that Gatland has a strong dislike for the Irish. I may be slightly biased being of Irish heritage, but how can you let someone manage a side likely to be made up of some of the people he despises? It will not generate good team spirit, which could lead to poor performances and an embarrassment of a tour. In my opinion, I believe the task of leading the Lions should once again fall to Ian McGeechan. He just somehow seems to make the Lions click and perform at their best. Just look at 2009, even though there was a series defeat, faith was restored in the touring side after the debacle that was 2005.
At the other end of the Six Nations, Scotland finished with the wooden spoon after failing to win a single game. This is a huge worry to the Scots, and I would be all for sacking Andy Robinson. What has he done that Frank Hadden had not? I believe that, if anything, Scotland have gone backwards under Robinson. They have talent in Richie Gray, Dave Denton and Stuart Hogg, so it is not a lack of quality. If England stick with Lancaster, which they should given how well he has got England to perform, then Scotland should quickly swoop for Nick Mallet or John Kirwan. Both have previous in getting a team full of potential to where they need to be, and that is exactly the type of manager Scotland currently needs.

Furthermore, both France and Ireland suffered worrying campaigns. In the five matches, they both only beat the bottom two teams. For both nations, this is simply not good enough. We are talking about teams here who both believe they were going for the title this year. Ireland came into the tournament off the back of a World Cup where they beat Australia, and France from a World Cup final that they perhaps could have won. And yet for both sides to struggle as they did means there are lots of questions to be answered.

And finally, this weekend saw the return of Formula 1 - oh how I've missed it. I was absolutely delighted for Jenson Button to win the first race and I hope he carries his form into the rest of the season. Credit to Sebastian Vettel, who steered his Red Bull to second place despite starting sixth on the grid. However, my driver of the race would have to be Kimi Raikkonen. Having started in 17th, the Finn eventually finished seventh on his return to Formula 1. It just proves that for world champions, Formula 1 is like riding a bike - you never forget how to race well. I bet all the way through the race, there was a beaming smile underneath Raikkonen's helmet, reminding him why he loves the sport after two years of rallying.

Special Report: Port Vale

This week, rather than discuss the Premiership, I thought I'd delve into the plight of a lower league club in dire straits. Port Vale are based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, where I also go to university. The Valiants are currently in administration for the second time in nine years. They have been unable to pay player wages recently, as well as the wages of the non-playing staff. Some may say they are on the brink of extinction after being hit with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue & Customs. However, the end of the 136-year-old club may be some way off yet if the generosity of the fans is anything to go by.

There have been stories all across the Potteries of fans donating their own money. These range from old ladies handing cheques worth hundreds of pounds to the manager, Mickey Adams, to young fans who have emptied their savings to give it to the club. Even the owner of the local Domino's franchise has got involved, donating 16 large pizzas to the club after learning the in-house caterers were no longer feeding them. And despite the rivalry between the clubs, fans of Vale's rivals Stoke City have also helped. Before a recent game between Vale and Burton Albion, two Stoke fans turned up to buy tickets, then walked off. They had never intended to watch the game, they were only looking to help a club in deep amounts of trouble in any way they could.

During the week, the university gave students the opportunity to speak with current Port Vale player Gareth Owen, and it was intriguing to learn how administration has affected the players. Owen believes that it has not affected the team's performances on the pitch, and rightly so despite their recent eight game unbeaten run ending at home to Barnet on Saturday. He also went into great depth about how it is affecting the players financially. Some have recently struggled to put petrol in their cars. It's a harsh reminder that not all footballers live the glitzy lifestyle. However, what was even more interesting was that Owen and the other Port Vale players did not know they were not going to be paid until the day before wages were due. And even worse is that it was left to manager Micky Adams to tell his players the bad news, not a member of the board. Not one of the players had any inkling beforehand that the club was in a poor financial state.

With Port Vale, we have a prime example of what is good and bad in football. The board of Port Vale were clearly trying to cover up constantly in the hope no one would ever find out how hard up they were. It's a shame they forgot that football is often an industry were secrets do not stay quiet for long. On the positive side, though, you can see the passion some of the fans have for their club, pumping in their hard earned cash during a recession to keep them afloat. This is what makes me proud to say I am a football fan when I hear stories like this. It also makes me proud to be spending my university years in what is clearly a very friendly and generous community. If only chairmen and owners were more like the fans of the clubs they run, rather than being the businessmen that they are. Maybe then will the problems of administration, which have reared their heads far too much since the turn of the year, begin to evaporate.

Weekly Round-up (05/03/2012)

The world of the football was dominated this weekend by one story involving Chelsea and their former manager, Andre Villas-Boas. Following their shock defeat to West Brom at the weekend, the Blues moved fast to remove AVB from his post. The result left Chelsea in fifth place, 3 points behind Arsenal in the race for fourth. In a way, I can see reasons both for and against the departure of the Portuguese manager. One obvious reason for his sacking is that Chelsea have been under-performing this season, finding themselves in a battle for Champions League qualification rather than in a title race, as they would expect. However, AVB was in charge at a time when Chelsea need to go through a transition. The old guard of Mourinho's era are reaching the end of their careers and need to soon be replaced by youthful equivalents. In ways, Villas-Boas tried to achieve this with the signings of Romelu Lukaku and Oriol Romeu. Given time, the 34-year-old may have created a new team of star players. But we will now never know what he was capable of.

In rugby, there was the rearranged France-Ireland fixture from the Six Nations, which ended in a 17-all draw. It was an especially frustrating draw for the Irish, as their counter-attacking performance in the first-half was brilliant, and their defence in the last 15 minutes of the second-half was exceptional. A few moments of indecision prevented Ireland from gaining a very credible victory in Paris. The draw also means that only Wales can now win the Grand Slam. However, there is still the tantalising prospect of a title showdown with the French in Cardiff on the final day of this year's Six Nations.

To end with this week, some sad news regarding West Indian cricketer Runako Morton, who has died aged 33. Morton died after his car collided with a utility pole in central Trinidad. Morton never made much of an impact in the Test arena, top scoring with 70* despite being a specialist batsman. But it was a different story in one-day cricket, where he had a top score of 110 and an average of 33.75. Throughout his career, Morton flirted with controversy. He was banned from the West Indian cricketing academy in 2001 for bad behaviour and was arrested in January 2004 following an altercation which left his cousin with stab wounds. And just under a year ago, Morton was arrested under the suspicion of marijuana possession. However, he will always be remembered for his brilliance at the crease, and, in the words of former team-mate Chris Gayle, "We lost a true warrior".

Weekly Round-up (27/02/12)

For a change this week, rugby is first up on the agenda as after yesterday's results, football is not something I really want to talk about. The Six Nations returned after a two week break and saw the Irish comfortably beat Italy to get their tournament back on track following a loss against the Welsh on the opening weekend. Hopefully this result can give the Emerald Isle confidence going forward ahead of their game against France this coming Sunday. Staying with the French, they too also won this weekend with a tight win over Scotland. So far, I have been impressed with Scotland this Six Nations despite losing all three games. If they were not let down by mistakes every game, their performances may have garnered at least two points, if not more. The game of the weekend was undeniably England vs Wales, which ended in controversy as England were adamant they had crossed the whitewash leaving Toby Flood with a chance to draw the game with his conversion attempt. However, the TMO gave a decision of no try due to "inconclusive" evidence. After the game, though, angles suggested that England may well have scored. In a way though, I am sure Flood is secretly pleased the try was not given as had he missed the resulting conversion, he would have been slated in the Sunday papers. Furthermore, the result of a draw would have stopped England winning a Grand Slam, much like the loss has, meaning little would have changed bar one point in the table.

In football this week, Liverpool won the Carling Cup on penalties over Championship side Cardiff. Reds fans seem to be slightly getting carried away following the victory, with many hailing it the beginning of a new era after winning a tournament where the bigger teams often field their youngsters. I remember a few years ago when Spurs won and I was ridiculed for celebrating the win by my dad, a Liverpool fan. Yesterday, I got a call from him telling me what an amazing inveiglement it was. Funny how views can change. Elsewhere, there was a London derby which we really do not need to go into much detail about except that Spurs played really well for forty minutes, and we all know that's when it truly matters.

Turning our attention to golf, and Rory McIlroy missed out on the chance to become World No. 1 after losing to Hunter Mahan in the final of the WGC Match Play final. McIlroy needn't be too despondent as he will surely be the official best in the world at some point this year. However, I hope he does not let that get to him in a similar way to his US Open triumph last year. Since then, McIlroy has begun to believe the hype despite only having won the same amount of majors as golfing luminaries like Louis Oosthuizen, Todd Hamilton and Shaun Micheel. Maybe Rory should take a leaf out of countryman Darren Clarke's book and just enjoy every moment of being a major winner.

Weekly Round-up (20/02/12)

The weekend saw the FA Cup move on to its fifth round, which on paper seemed to hand easy ties to most of the Premier League Clubs involved. Stoke, Liverpool, Everton and Bolton all dispatched their lower league opponents with consummate ease. However, the north-south divide was in force as the Premier League clubs from Southern England struggled. Arsenal went down 2-0 away to Sunderland to cap an abysmal week following Wednesday's 4-0 drubbing at A.C. Milan. The Gunners' next game is against Tottenham, with many fans believing Arsenal are there for the taking. However, I for one disagree with this, as after two poor games, Arsenal have to play well at some point. Staying with Spurs, they also didn't have the best of weekends as the majority of the team looked disinterested during their 1-1 draw with League 1 Stevenage at Broadhall Way on Sunday. As a Spurs fan, it was annoying to see a vastly superior team struggle against lower league opposition. However, credit were it is due to Stevenage, who played really well and are still yet to concede a goal in this year's tournament despite entering in round one. Chelsea also drew against lower league opposition as Championship side Birmingham forced a replay to increase the pressure on AVB. His weekend started well as Guus Hiddink, long speculated to replace him at Chelsea, was announced as manager at mega-rich Russians Anzhi Makhachkala. However, the Portuguese manager must be feeling the strain with Chelsea fans expectant of silverware after their recent successes in both league and cup. Norwich also went down to a Championship side in the form of Leicester despite having home advantage. Whilst fans may be disappointed not to have gone further in the cup, Norwich can now solely focus on consolidate their 8th place in the Premier League, and maybe even climb higher up the table.

Elsewhere in sport this weekend, there was the soap opera that was Dereck Chisora in Munich. Friday afternoon's weigh-in saw the drama begin as Chisora slapped opponent Vitali Klitschko. This bought widespread condemnation and a fine upon Chisora. Then there was the pre-fight spit drenching of Klitschko's brother, Wladimir. However, none of this pointed to the drama that would unfold between Chisora and former world champion David Haye in a post-fight press conference. Haye, who was at the fight covering it for television, was incensed with comments from first the Klitschko camp, then from Chisora himself. The two traded verbal blows before Chisora marched up to Haye, and shortly after the two began brawling. The end result was that Haye's manager, Adam Booth, had a cut on his head, Chisora was arrested and the reputation of both boxers, as well as British boxing, lie broken on the floor in tatters. Whilst I do not condone the actions of Saturday night and think that Chisora and Haye should be swiftly forgotten, I would like to seem them get it on in the ring. However, rather than the fight lining their back pockets, maybe the proceeds should go to charity. Sport Relief, is there still time to organise it? Just to point out, somewhere in the midst of all this, there was a boxing match where Chisora, who was given no chance, took Vitali Klitschko the distance only to be beaten by a unanimous points decision. Its such a shame that a brave performance was tarnished by Chisora's frankly yobbish behaviour.

Weekly Round-up (13/02/12)

This week I feel the need to open with an apology to a one Mr. L. Saha of Tottenham Hotspur. In last week's post, I bemoaned Harry Redknapp's decision to sign a striker "blighted by injuries" and who may have been considered past his best. On his home debut for Spurs, The Frenchman scored two well taken goals and showed signs of a superb understanding with strike partner Emmanuel Adebayor. All I can hope for now is that Saha continues his Spurs career in similar fashion as we look to consolidate third place and maybe even push for the title.

Ahead of us this week in football is the return of the Champions League. The first legs of the round of 16 ties are split over this week and next, with the sole English club playing this week being Arsenal. The Gunners have a tough game against reigning Italian champions AC Milan. It is worth noting, however, that the Rossoneri were knocked out by Arsenal's North London rivals Tottenham. Judging by the gulf in class in some of the ties, such as Lyon vs APOEL Nicosia, it could be argued that this tie is the eye-catching one of the round.

At the weekend, a Six Nations game was called off for the first time due to bad weather as the France-Ireland match was postponed due to a frozen pitch. I for one am glad the game did not go ahead as Ireland will - hopefully- not have to suffer the ignominy of losing back-to-back games in the championship for the first time as their next game will now be against Italy. Saying that, the Azzurri put in a good display against England, who again had to scraped for victory.

And finally this week, some heartwarming news from the African Cup of Nations. Zambia took home the trophy for the first time. But more importantly, they won 19 years after arguably their best generation of players was wiped out in a plane crash off the coast of Libreville, Gabon, where yesterday's final took place. Watching the game yesterday, I always had the feeling that the Chipolopolo would win against the heavily fancied Ivory Coast. There was a sense of an equilibrium when Stoppila Sunzu scored the winning penalty. I hope Zambia are able to build on this success, which is what they deserved after the sorrow of 1993.

Capello's shock resignation (08/02/12)

With the news that Fabio Capello has quit his role as England manager with immediate effect, many football fans across the country will be worrying about their country's hopes at the forthcoming European Championships. However, I believe it to be a blessing in disguise for the Three Lions. In my opinion, I think Capello's tactics were not suited to the England team and that they were far too defensive for a team with fantastic offensive capabilities. Under the Italian, players like Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole all had their natural attacking instincts curbed. Whilst it was cute that Capello stuck to the defensive Italian game, it got England nowhere. With him gone, the team may finally be unleashed.

However, who will unleash them is a tricky question. Harry Redknapp will most likely be the man to do that after the Euros, if not before on a part-time basis as rumoured. However, I would rather see Stuart Pearce given the job on a temporary basis. In my opinion, this is an option that would work out great for everyone involved. After the Euros, Redknapp would inherit a far more stable squad than at present, and would have a greater scope of time to put his mark on the team. It also allows Tottenham to keep their manager as they strive to qualify for the Champions League, albeit for the time being. And, for me the most important benefit, it allows the FA to see if Stuart Pearce can one day manage his country's senior team. Granted Pearce has the British Olympic Team to worry about, but there is enough time in between the two tournaments for this arrangement to work.

On a final note, there is a manager who was 24 hours away from taking the job in 2007, when Capello was given the job. A manager who is more than likely to leave his job in the summer. A man who is considered to be the greatest of his generation and is, perhaps, special. Jose Mourinho for England, anyone?

Weekly Round-up (06/02/12)

In football this week, we saw the January transfer window come to an end. Deadline day was not as busy as it had been in previous years, but there were still some transfers of note on the final day. Nikica Jelavic completed his move to Everton, where he will hope to continue the goalscoring form he was in for Rangers. Toffees fans will surely be hoping he does as Everton have been missing something of an out and out striker for a while now, and Jelavic could well be that man. Elsewhere, my beloved Tottenham signed experienced Frenchman Louis Saha from Everton. Personally, this deal baffles me as Saha is over thirty and has been blighted by injuries. Granted we done well to get him on a free transfer, but there are plenty of younger, and perhaps better, strikers out there, such as Hugo Rodallega who was linked with a deadline day move to Spurs.

Moving on to American Football, the Super Bowl was played out in front of a sell-out crowd in Indianapolis last night as the Giants took on the Patriots in a repeat of the 2008 showcase. And just like in 2008, the Giants snatched it at the death. I would like to take the opportunity to point out my prediction that the Giants would repeat their success in my post last week, which seemed to be the only thing I got right. Let's hope my predictions get better before my trip to Uttoxeter on Saturday.

The Six Nations kicked off this weekend, with two rather tame affairs on Saturday. The French done what was expected of them by comfortably beating Italy 30-12 in Paris. However, it was exciting to see the return of the Gallic flair which France often lacked under former coach Marc Lievremont. This was epitomised in Vincent Clerc's try, which came about thanks to some lovely footwork from Francois Trinh-Duc and Aurelien Rougerie. The other day's game saw England narrowly defeat Scotland to claim the Calcutta Cup 13-6. In my belief, it would have been different had Scotland had played only one or two percent better. England capitalised on Scotland's mistakes to win when they should have lost. Sunday's game, however, proved to be a real belter. Wales faced Ireland in Dublin in what many saw as a title decider, despite it only being the first week, and boy, did it live up to expectations. Although the first half was all Wales, with Ireland defending magnificently, the second half was a real pendulum swing. Wales would have momentum, then Ireland, then Wales again. It went down to the wire, with Leigh Halfpenny's penalty deciding the game with less than a minute left on the clock. The game was a great advert for rugby, and despite being half Irish, I could not begrudge Wales winning 23-21.

Finally, some news which broke earlier today. Alberto Contador has been banned for two years but will available to ride again on the 6th of August 2012 as they ban has been applied retroactively. Although this means that Contador will miss this year's tour, I think the punishment was too light. Why can't he miss next year's tour as well? Why can't the ban be two years from today? Yes, Contador may have had his 2010 title stripped, but I'm sure he's not too fussed as he has yellow jerseys from 2007 and 2009 to keep him company. Sometimes, I think sports cheats are punished far too leniently.

Weekly Round-up (30/01/12)

This weekend saw the fourth round of the FA Cup take place. Naturally there was the odd upset, with League 2 leaders Crawley knocking out Championship side Hull being the most notable. Crawley have now reached the fifth round of the cup for the past two seasons, which is a remarkable achievement for a team so far down the league pyramid. Newcastle United, still missing their talisman Demba Ba, succumbed to a 1-0 away to Brighton in a game they controlled. They wasted several good chances before Will Buckley's 76th minute shot struck Magpie defender Mike Williamson to take it past Tim Krul. However, the biggest result for me in the cup has to be Liverpool's win. What a week for them! Who would have thought that after playing so appallingly at Bolton last week that Liverpool would have knocked out both Manchester sides from the domestic cups in the space of 3 days? The draw for the fifth round of the cup is intriguing as there is only one potential all-Premier League tie, and that relies on Sunderland beating Middlesbrough with the winner hosting Arsenal. Both Crawley and Stevenage have glamour ties against Stoke and Tottenham respectively, ties which will probably be shown on television netting more cash for the two lower league clubs. Some would say the draw has given the remaning top flight teams an easy chance of making the next round, but I am certain there will be one or two shocks.

Elsewhere in sport, Novak Djokovic won his third Australian Open crown to consolidate his position as World No. 1. Many have labelled this Nole's best ever victory as he only had 48 hours to recover from a marathon match with Andy Murray before playing Rafa Nadal in the final. The combined length of both games was 10 hrs 43m, so no wonder The Djoker looked bleary eyed during a press event earlier today.

Looking ahead to this week, the Six Nations starts. England will be looking for some form of redemption under interim coach Stuart Lancaster following the debacle that was their World Cup campaign. However, I for one doubt whether they will find that redemption during this tournament. They are a team in transition, who do not have a permanent coach and are likely to be led by someone who has yet to make it to double figures in international caps. They play Scotland first up, who are also looking to bounce back following a World Cup where they failed to qualify for the knock-out stages for the first time. France and Italy play in the tournaments opening game, and it will be interesting to see how each team copes under a new management. France have bought in former Sale director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre, who should return the gallic flair to the squad which often went missing under Marc Lievremont. Italy have replaced the successful Nick Mallet with former Perpignan coach Jacques Brunel, who helped the Catalans realise their potential by winning the Top 14 in 2009. Maybe he can help Italy do the same. Sunday's game is, for me, a title decider. It may only be the first round, but I can't look past Wales or Ireland to win the tournament. Both are coming of the back of good World Cups and have not had any internal struggles to worry about. Ireland played well in the groups but had an average game against Wales, and the Dragons should have made the final. In my opinion, I think Brian O'Driscoll's injury for Ireland is more a help than a hindrance as it allows the Emerald Isle to find and groom his successor now rather than after he retires.

Finally, the Super Bowl takes place this Sunday with the New York Giants facing the New England Patriots in a repeat of the 2008 final. I can see the Giants winning just as they did 4 years ago because of the run they have been on to get to the grand event. Yes the Patriots may have not lost since week 9, coincidentally against the Giants, but they had qualification for the play-offs tied up a long time ago, meaning they may have lost some focus. They also had the week off when the Giants played in the Wild Cards. Some may see this as handy, allowing the team to recuperate, but many see it as a disadvantage as teams often lose momentum by not playing in the first week of the playoffs. Whatever the outcome, I'm sure we are in for another classic Super Bowl.